Binding strip apparatus



'2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR W. STUEBING, JR

BINDING STRIP APPARATUS Filed Jan. 5, 1942 Nov, 27, E945.

v w. s'T'uEBiNG. .JR

BINDING STRIP APPARATUS 2 ShetS-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 5, 1942 "Tm-:Vl

Patented Nov. 27, 1945 UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFElcE BINDING STRIPAPPARATUS William vSIsuebing, Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio Application January5, 1942, Serial No. 425,627

1 Claim.

This invention relates to the making of binding strips for calendars,display cards and the like, and more particularly to accurately handlingthe strips during manufacture.

A binding stri-p of the above character is shown in U. S. Patent No.1,906,024, and a machine for mounting metal strips of this character onthe edges of cards, calendars, etc., is shown in U. S. Patent No.1,057,295. An improved machine is shown in my U. S. Patent No. 2,042,912and the present invention is an improvement upon the machine of thislatter patent. The present invention relates particularly to thehandling of the binding strips during the manufacturing process so thatthe strips are accurately held with the result that a uniform product isproduced.

An object of the presentl invention is to provide means for accuratelyhandling strips of the above character particularly during themanufacture thereof. A further object is to provide a guide means forautomatically centering the binding strips when the eyelet tabs arebeing attached to the strip. A further object is to provide a gaugewhich will automatically center each binding-strip and which isadaptable for use under a variety of conditions. Another object is toprovide apparatus of the above character which is sturdy inconstruction, dependable in operation and thoroughly practical in allrespects.

The invention` accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements,

and arrangements of -parts as will be exemplied in the structure to behereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will beindi--V cated in the following claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the machine;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in Figure 1 with certainportions broken away;

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan View of one of the gauges showing itsrelationship to the end of a binding strip; and,

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout thevarious views of the drawings.

'I'his machine comprises sheet metal feeding mechanism; a strip cuttingand folding device and its operating mechanism; a strip indenting deviceand its operating mechanism; a strip pusher for feeding the cut strip tothe device for indenting and folding, and its operating mechathroughgearing (not shown).

nism; a second strip pusher or feeding device and its operatingmechanism; a movable strip-receiving table and its operating mechanism;eyelet tape feeding mechanism; an eyelet punch and die unit and itsoperating mechanism; a pressure bar and its operating mechanism; a fin`punching device and its operating mechanism; a iin clinching device andits operating mechanism; means and mechanism for delivering the nishedstrips from the machine in nested formation; and main driving andcontrol mechanisms. The present invention relates particularly to thestrip delivery device and the strip-receiving table and to means forinsuring coordinated action between the various parts of the machine.

The details of the machine and its operation are discussed in my U. S,Patent No. 2,042,912, and except as pointed out herein, the details ofconstruction and operation are the same as in that patent. 'Ihestructure of the machine and its operation will be discussed below andthe details will be explained in so far as they are involved directly inthe present invention. The broader aspects of the machine will bediscussed in reference to Figure 1, and the details of construction willthen be discussed in connection with the other gures. y

Referring to Figure 1, the machine is provided with suitable side-frameleg members III and sup-V porting upper side-frame members II. Theseframe members are connected together by means of a lower transverseframe-plate I2, and upper transverse frame-plates I3 and I3. Plate I3lprovides an upper surface for supporting the metal sheet I4 as it isfed from the rear of the machine (the left of Figure 1) to the stripcutting and folding mechanism. At the right-hand side, plate I3 has adepending L-shaped projection forming a ledge to support a block I5, andsimilarly plate I3 supports a block I6. Block I6 is movable toward blockI5 to adjust the gap therebetween, with the adjustment beingaccomplished by turning a plurality of adjustment screws Il mounted inplate I3 and adjusted from the right at the front of the machine.

'Ihe drive and control mechanism comprises a cam shaft I8 and aneccentric shaft I9 both extending across the machine and rotatablymounted in the side-frames. Cam shaft I8 is driven through a gearassembly from a motor, and cam shaft I9 is driven from cam shaft I8Mounted to slide vertically in suitable raceways 25 in the sideframemembers II is a sheet cutting and folding bar 24. At the left, bar-24carries a movable cutting knife 26 which cooperates with a fixed cuttingknife 28 rigidly mounted on plate I3, and at the right, bar 24 carries afolding blade 21 which moves downwardly between blocks I5 and I8 to foldthe strip. Bar 24 also carries a gauge plate which is adjustablysupported by a pair of adjusting screws 3l. Prior to each cuttingoperation the metal sheet I4 is-moved to the right with its extreme endoverhanging the edge of cutter knife 28 'and into engagement" with gaugeplate 39. As bar 24 moves downwardly, the cutting edges of cuttingknives 25 and 28 cooperate to shear off the overhanging end of the metalsheet, and this cut-off portion forms the strip 29. By adjusting theposition of gauge plate 30 with respect to the cutting edge of cuttingknife 28, the width of the binding strip is regulated. After being cutoff, the stripv falls upon block I5, and bar 24 moves up again.

Slidably mounted and extending across the top of block I5 are two pusherfingers 32 which are oscillated between the position shown and aretracted position wherein the right-hand ends of the ngers are flushwith the right-hand side of cutter knife 28. Thus, when the strip 29falls on ,block I5, the left-hand side of the strip is engaged by theadjacent ends of the pusher fingers, and when the pusher fingers slideto the right to the position shown, the strip is slid over the gapbetween blocks I5 and I6. The strip is then held between the ends ofpusher fingers 32 and the edge of adjustable gauge plate 33 mounted onblock I5. In this position the strip is operated upon to produce thereinsuitable indentations and then is folded by the folding plate 21 uponthe next descent of bar 24,

The pusher ngers 32 are oscillated by a cam and spring assembly with theleft-hand end of each nger connected through a link 35 to the upper endof an arm 36 rigidly mounted on a rock shaft 38. Shaft 38 is mounted atits ends in the sideframes and carries an arm 39 having a roller 40riding upon a cam 4I on the cam shaft I9. Arm 39 has a rearwardextension 42 to which is connected one end of a tension spring 43, theother end of which is attached to the frame of the machine. Spring 43biases arm 39 and rock shaft 38 in a clockwise direction, with theresult that roller 48 follows the contour of cam 4I. Thus, as shaft I9rotates, shaft 38 is rocked, with the result that pusher fingers 32 areoscillated to and from their retracted position where they receive a newstrip 29 of sheet metal.

Bar` 24 is connected at its ends to a pair of adjustable connectingrods,(not shown) which are mounted at their lower ends on eccentrics onshaft I9. These eccentrics are so positioned with respect to cam 4I thatfingers 32 are withdrawn immediately after the folding blade 21 engagesstrip 29 to force it downwardly in the gap between blocks I5 and I6,thereby folding the strip and giving it its V-shaped form. Thus, thepusher ngers release the strip and move backward into their rearposition ready to carry forward the next strip at the time the strip iscut off.

In the upper side-frames, there is rotatably mounted a rock shaft 44which carries a pair of embossing arms 45. These arms have pin-shaped orconeshaped tips 48 which are adapted to form indentations in the metalstrip when the arms 32 are rocked into engagement with the strip.Suitable cooperating recesses 41 are formed in the upper face of blockI5, and the gagement of each strip by the folding blade 21. Theembossing arms 45 immediately return to the position shown and do notinterfere with the folding operation- Rockably mounted in theside-frames below block I6 is a rock shaft 56 which carries a pair ofvdelivery fingers 53, each of which is provided each of toggle members65 is connected by a pinl with a V-shaped end 52. Rock shaft 56 ismechanically connected with shaft I'8, and its action is synchronizedwith the action of folding blade 21 so that when thev folding bladeforces a folded strip downwardly, fingers 53 are in the position shown,and the strip falls into the fingers. The fingers are then rockedclockwise to a lowered, substantially horizontal position where theydeposit the strip on a movable table 54. Table 54 is slidably mountedupon cross plate I2 and is moved toward and away from the front of themachine by a pair of toggle mechanisms, each of which is composed of aset of parts 64 and 65 connected together by a pin 66 upon which a camroller 61 is rotatably mounted. The right-hand end of each of the togglemembers 64 is connected to table 54 by a pin 69, and the left-hand en dof 1I to a suitable stationary support 10 carried by plate I2. Each ofcam rollers 61 rides in'` contact with a cam 68 rigidly mounted upon camshaft I8, with the result that when cam shaft I8 ro- Y tates, table 54is reciprocated.

' strip is pushed to the right beneath pressure plate 15 to the positionshown by fingers 55 extending from a pusher plate 18. At the left,pusher plate 18 is connected through links 88 to a pair of rock levers8| mounted on studs 82 carrying at their lower ends cam rollers 83 whichare maintained by springs 85 in engagement with cams 84 on shaft I8.Thus, when shaft I8 rotates, fingers 55 are reciprocated in timedrelationshipwith respect to the other operations of the machine.

Referring to the right of the figure, at the time a strip 29 is beingpositioned beneath pressure plate 15, the end of eyelet tape 86 movesfrom the right over the top of the center portion of l the strip. Thepressure plate 15 then descends and resiliently holds the folded stripand the end of the eyelet tape in proper juxtaposition. At this time thedie member 88 of the punch and die unit 13 moves downwardly, pinning theend of the eyelet tape. The downward movement ofthe die member 88 alsocauses the round punch Slito cut a hole in the eyelet tape which is toform the next successive eyelet. As explained in my Patent No.2,042,912, a pair of punches I 8| lare at this time operated to piercefrom below the strip 29 and the eyelet tab to cause upstan'ding metalns. These metal fins are subsequently clinched or riveted by means of apair of hammer pins |03 which reciprocate in the pressure plate 15.While these operations of punching the fins and clinching the same arebeing carried on, the pressure plate 15 rests with resilient force uponthe eyelet tab and folded strip holding them in position. The mechanismfor operating the punching and clinching pins and the pressure plate 15is shown in part in the accompanying drawings, and a detaileddescription may be found in my Patent No. 2,042,912.

The clinching of the ns securely fastens the eyelet to the metal stripso that the finished product is a substantially unitary structure. Themetal strip is released by the lifting of the pressure plate 15, and thefiat springs |32 react to flip the finished binding strip to the left.At this time the movable table 5d has been drawn back to the left,causing a gap to exist between the forward edge of the table and the dieblock 12, and the nished binding strip falls through this gap into themouth of a hopper |33. The hopper guides each individual binding stripdownwardly, and its advance is stopped by contact with a pair of flatsprings |36. A pair of fingers |39 then moves from the broken lineposition to the full line position, thereby delivering the binding stripto the nested position shown at the left.

These binding strips are adapted to act as supports for sheets ofmaterial such as calendars, maps, etc., and it is important that theeyelet tab be accurately positioned upon each strip; that is, if theeyelet tab were off center, this would not be discovered until thecalendar or the like was finished. Then, in all probability, thecalendar or the like would be discarded. In carrying out the presentinvention, each binding strip is automatically centered with respect toits eyelet tab in a manner which is tied up with the operation of theother portions of the machine. Accordingly, as the binding strips aremoved along the surface of the table 54 by pusher fingers 55 (seeFigures 2 and 3), the strip is moved between'a pair of end gaugesadjustably held by screws |16 to the stop gauge |1. Each endgauge isformed by a link having a slotl |1| at one end and carrying a guidefinger |12 at the other end. Each guide nger |12 has a beveled edge |14shown best in Figure 5, and it is adjustably held to link |16l by ascrew |13'. Referring again to Figure 2, screws |16 are received inholes |11 spaced along the top of stop gauge ||1, and by providing anumber of these holes and the elongated slot |1|, each link |10 may bepositioned to hold its guide finger in any desirable position.

To adjust the two end gauges, a sample strip 29 is placed in its trueposition with relation to th'e center of the eyelet-attaching mechanism.A pair of holes |11 is then selected such that the end gauges may beclamped to approximate the relation to strip 29 which is shown in Figure2. Guide fingers |12 are then placed in alignment with the ends of thestrip and locked in place by tightening screws |13, and links |10 arethen secured in the proper adjusted position by tightening screws |16.

The beveled edge |14 of each guide finger |12 (see Figure 5), and eachguide finger is resiliently held by link |10 so that this beveledengages and presses downwardly on the end edge of the strip. As shownbest in Figure 4, the beveled edge |14 of each guide finger is cut awayat th'e end of the guide finger which first engages the strip so that ifthe strip is not in perfect alignment with the finger, the strip' willbe deected longitudinally into proper alignment. The guide ngers areadjusted in accordance with the conditions of use, depending upon thetype of strip and upon th'e leeway which must be given for the strips tobe out of alignment when they are pushed between the end gauges. Thus,for eX- ample, in Figure 2 the guide fingers are adjusted at a wideangle.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and asmany changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is tobe understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth, or sh'own in theaccompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

I claim:

In apparatus for attaching metal eyelets on folded metal strips whereinthe strips are fed transversely of their length beneath a pressure platein overlapping relationship with respect to the eyelets and wherein eacheyelei-l is automatically attached to said strip, the combination with'means for moving and holding the strips of a pair of gauges positionedat the respective ends of the strip, each of said gauges comprising anger member adjustably held against the working surface upon which thestrip is positioned, said linger member having a, beveled side edgebeneath which the respective end of each successive strip is moved, anda resilient link providing the support for said finger member with thelinger member attached at one end of the link and with the linkadjustably clamped to a stationary support adjacent its other end.

WILLIAM STUEBING, JR.

